Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

[deeloughran]

Wednesday 18 March 2009	Home	Draw	Away	bookmakers margin on the event. However, they do not take account of commissions that may be charged.">
Saint-Étienne v Werder Bremen (19:30GMT)	91/50	51/20	15/8
Hide « Saint-Étienne v Werder Bremen
Ajax v Marseille (19:45GMT)	34/25	5/2	5/2
Hide « Ajax v Marseille
Thursday 19 March 2009	Home	Draw	Away	bookmakers margin on the event. However, they do not take account of commissions that may be charged.">
Metalist Kharkiv v Dynamo Kyiv (17:00GMT)	149/100	23/10	2/1
Hide « Metalist Kharkiv v Dynamo Kyiv
Shakhtar v CSKA Moscow (17:30GMT)	67/50	12/5	23/10
Hide « Shakhtar v CSKA Moscow
Zenit v Udinese (17:30GMT)	81/100	53/20	4/1
Hide « Zenit v Udinese
Galatasaray v Hamburger SV (19:30GMT)	7/5	12/5	21/10
Hide « Galatasaray v Hamburger SV
AaB v Manchester City (20:00GMT)	41/20	51/20	3/2
Hide « AaB v Manchester City
Braga v PSG (20:30GMT)	11/8	9/4	2/1

[deeloughran]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Anyone else think that Shaktar represent value after dominating the first leg? Zhirkov is suspended for CSKA who is a key attacking full back who is being linked with Chelsea whilst Shaktar's key centre back Chygrynskiy is suspended too. With Zhirkov missing CSKA are missing a key link in their attacking play which could mean a lack of width / balls being played into the box which could lead to a lack of goals. Shaktar seem to have the edge here but CSKA are yet to be beaten in the UEFA cup which shows their quality.

[Mahno]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 I do mate.I think Shakhtar will win 1-0 and teams will have extra time. CSKA were very lucky at home.Only penalty saved them.Now they will play on proper pitch not that plastic shit they have in Moscow.Shakhtar beat Metalist yesterday 3-0 away so they are in a good mood.Yes,Zhirkov will be a big miss for CSKA.My money will go on Shakhtar to win @2.2 bet365 :hope Also under 2.5 is possible as CSKA will defend Also few words about Kiev and Metalist match.I will go with under 2.5. Metalist is winless in domestic league in 2009.Big pressure on them now.They did well in UEFA cup before they didn't start playing in domestic league.Players get tired now and stresed.Morale is low.Dynamo has big squad and many good players to choose from.Some players have recovered from injuries.I expect Metalist to defend and wait for their chance to strike but i don't expect amny goals as 0-0 or 1-1 is good enough for Kiev. I'm going with under 2.5 :hope GL :ok

[KautoStar666]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 The 3 fancies of these second legs for me are Shakhtar, Braga and Galatasray. Shakhtar were the better side away at CSKA and like the previous 2 posts have said should of won that game, i believe they will get the result they need at home. Braga are playing PSG and after a 0-0 first leg they take them back to there own ground and are certainly no mugs, PSG have already said they are gunning for the league being closer to lyon than they have ever been in recent years and are likely to field a weakend side again. Galatasray speak for themselves, at home they are a very good side infront of the hostile fans they have and i honestly think they will beat Hamburg. 12/1 for the treble is outstanding odds for me and certainly worth a tenner of anyones money. Good Luck.

[The_Tipster]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

Good tip KautoStar666...I watched PSG v Marseille and thought there first 11 wasn't that good and they are expecting to rest their key-players...Turkey is a tough place to go to so Galatasaray should fancy there chances after a hard-fought 1-1 in Hamburg....I haven't seen Shakhtar's match with CSKA Moscow but heard they played well and had chances before Vagner Love put CSKA ahead....No doubt about it it's worth a shot! :clap

[Joshyss]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

Good tip KautoStar666...I watched PSG v Marseille and thought there first 11 wasn't that good and they are expecting to rest their key-players...Turkey is a tough place to go to so Galatasaray should fancy there chances after a hard-fought 1-1 in Hamburg....I haven't seen Shakhtar's match with CSKA Moscow but heard they played well and had chances before Vagner Love put CSKA ahead....No doubt about it it's worth a shot! :clap

Any word on who they are resting?

[Caveman]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 IMO doesn't matter which team will be fielded by Gala, IMO they won't lose against HSV in domestic stadium with his well known red hot atmosphere. Ask Girondins players, they can tell you a thing or two about it ;) Hamburg lost three of last 6 matches in Bundesliga, so recently domestic hot form is history. Surely it doesn't count so much for european stage but still a fact. Gala's lately inconsistency seems to be vanished since new manager B.Korkmaz took over the job (again this legendary "new coach effect"). As Gala scored away they aren't even under pressure to attack and score first. Petric's absence means a really big blow for HSV's offense, Olic is also in good form, but I like Petric's "killer instinct". BUT the main blow will be Trochowski. This guy is smth like the heart of HSV's midfield, after they sold Van der Vaart to Real. His absence will definitely weaken their midfield. Perhaps match will be over 2,5 goals, due to Gala's weak defense and injured central defenders but the same was also said before first leg, nah , for me Galatasaray -0,25 @ 1,93 Bet365 will do it

[hacko]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 After the first leg I was convinced Galatasaray is a straight HW and favorite in the clash, but now as I saw Gala's injured and suspended players I strongly believe they won't win the game.. at least not in the regular time. The defenders Emre and Cetin, midfielders Linderot and Topal and one of the most important players in the team's offense - Arda Turan, all miss through injuries. Emre Asik, another defender, is suspended. The only good news for them is that Baros is coming back after suspension. This definetly looks like a high scoring game so the over could happen to be a good pick here, like also the odds for AW, but will stay away from this game.. at least for now. As long CSKA are in the better position in the game, their counter-attacking ability shouldn't be underestimated, so this is another game I don't wanna get involved with.

[hacko]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 I do really fancy the HW in Braga. PSG showed this competition means nothing to them and it only distracts them from their big and impossible goal of finishing 1st in France. Maybe zone CL is more likely. Braga is a strong team that showed they know how to play in this competition and having no suspended players for this one, with the unserios behavior of PSG, HW is the right pick here. The Ukrainian clash looks like a low scoring game to me. Dynamo miss the goal scorer from the first game - Vukojevic, but they will have both defenders Andriy Nesmachniy and Badr El Kaddouri available again after suspension. Metalist have also a suspended player, but I'm not pretty sure if there is someone aroung who can wright his name correctly in English.. his a defender.. this is what matters. My pick here is under 2.5, looks good to me in a double with the one above.

[oktayhan1]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Guys i just wanted to warn you about galatasaray game.Everyone here thinks that galatasaray will get a win but they really suffer from injuries and suspensions.They already lost their two centrebacks for 3 months(Servet,Emre Gungor) and last game Emre Asik had red card,they have economical problem so they sold Meira to Zenit.So they don't have any centreback to play at this serious game.Their left back Hakan will play in the centre,most probably a guy from the youth team will be in starters as centerback.Last game in Hamburg when Emre had red card Kewell was in the centreback position and if you looked at the highlights you could see god really helped them a lot.Another problem is Arda's injury,in this team he is the one to devote the most for the team.There is none to replace him.They have confidence maybe but they already had a lot of defensive problems,if Hamburg has an early goal,it won't be impossible for them to get an easy win despite Petric and Trocowsky's injury.That will be a game of discipline vs. confidence.I think Hamburg's discipline is closer to win.Maybe you will think that i am Fenerbahce fan so this is an emotional bet,but if you look at my older post you can see my pick Arsenal beats Fenerbahce min by 2 ;) Hamburg wins @ 3,45 5/10

[willemedkniven]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Any words and thoughts on Wednesday's games? I'm thinking that 2.48 on Bremen looks pretty good, given that Bremen has no real reason to focus on the league and given that St Etienne has to focus on staying in the first division more than anything... Just thoughts though, anybody here knows if St Etinne will play their best eleven in this game?

[Skunk]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Hello, I found this interesting info on the uefa website: "there are suggestions Perrin may choose to rest key players ahead of Saturday's crucial match at FC Lorient, while striker Emmanuel Rivière and midfielder Mouhamadou Dabo picked up injuries against Grenoble to join Cédric Varrault (thigh), Geoffrey Dernis (groin) and Dimitri Payet (knee) on the doubtful list. Better news is that defender Sylvain Monsoreau returns from injury and Sébastien Grax could also feature in a hungry young lineup. Bremen, meanwhile, have Per Mertesacker available after he skipped the weekend's 4-0 win against VfB Stuttgart because of flu. Petri Pasanen (ankle), Daniel Jensen (nose) and Clemens Fritz (flu) are out, while Frank Baumann is suspended." I think Werder +0 @ 1,7 has a great value tonight.

[Neonnn]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

Ajax v Marseille (19:45GMT)

34/25

5/2

5/2

For this one I am willing to put small stakes on Both teams to score @1.72. Ajax are currently struggling and not in a top shape but for shure will try to nick this one after loosing 2:1 in the first game. Marseille on the other hand play excelent counter attacking football so hope to see both teams scoring. Marseille are even capable of winning the match if they manage to score an early goal and demoralize Ajax.

[Teabag]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 St Etienne vs W Bremen Although St Et have not played a great deal of European football in recent years, they still are unbeaten at home in European competitions since the 1980/81 season. In the league, as mentioned above they are battling relegation and you can take the opinion that the UEFA is an unwelcome distraction or the opportunity perhaps to play with a little more freedom away from their domestic competition. Bremen on the other hand are safe in their league and the UEFA would now be a top priority. Like St. Et. they are also missing players via injury. Bremen are a dangerous side away from home and their recent draw at the San Siro demonstrates their ability to counter attack but also their ability to concede. The key to the mtach is how seriously the management at St Et view this competition and what side they put out. If they put out a strong side then I fancy a draw - a weakened side then you must go with a Bremen win. However, Bremen only need a draw to progress, therefore I will play this in running but I tentatively select, at this stage Draw

[blackcrow]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 St Etienne - Werder Bremen over 2.5 (1.92 @ pinnacle) Both teams are expected to come into this game below strength with several injuries in each side weakening their line ups. Also St Etienne coach has said that he is willing to forego this tournament to try and ensure the team's survival in the French Ligue 1. However, they continue to feature in games at home that has goals scored in it and they have scored and conceded in each of their last 5 games at home, including where they beat Olympiakos 2-1. Bremen too are known for scoring and they hold a 1-0 lead after the first leg. There are doubts about Pizarro playing but even still they have other players who can score and they did draw 2-2 at Milan. An early goal, especially for Bremen will open the game up as St Etienne would need to score 3 if they were interested in going through to the next round. Looking at goals here as teams have no more chances to progress after this game Ajax - Marseille over 2.5 (1.98 @ pinnacle) Ajax are in the box seat as all they need is a goal in order to progress but they have to do so without several of their defenders. As such they have scored in each of their last 5 UEFA Cup games. So they should be able to score on Marseille who are missing some parts of their defence, but Marseille also has some of their defence out, and Ajax too are capable of scoring. The makeshift defenders on both sides will not be up to defending the game for each side, so look for both teams to aim to get the first goal which should help the over to come in

[Jonesy Knows]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 I think the St Etienne v Werder Bremen tie is a dangerous one to try and predict an outcome! Recently whenever the UEFA Cup matches have been on the horizon there is a lot of psychology being used by team managers, who always seem to have a reason to field a weakened team because they place more importance on their domestic league because they are either challenging for the league title or trying to stave off relegation. This is the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Cup and let no team/manager tell you that they do not want to progress! St Etienne are a prime example of using psychology to their advantage! Look at their results in this competition and you will make an out of focus picture, crystal clear!

18-09-08	UEFA Cup	W	Hapoel Tel Aviv FC	1 - 2	Saint Étienne	View events	More info
02-10-08	UEFA Cup	W	Saint Étienne	2 - 1	Hapoel Tel Aviv FC	View events	More info
23-10-08	UEFA Cup	W	FC København	1 - 3	Saint Étienne	View events	More info
06-11-08	UEFA Cup	W	Saint Étienne	3 - 0	Rosenborg BK	View events	More info
27-11-08	UEFA Cup	D	Club Brugge KV	1 - 1	Saint Étienne	View events	More info
17-12-08	UEFA Cup	D	Saint Étienne	2 - 2	Valencia	View events	More info
18-02-09	UEFA Cup	W	Olympiakos Piraeus	1 - 3	Saint Étienne	View events	More info
26-02-09	UEFA Cup	W	Saint Étienne	2 - 1	Olympiakos Piraeus	View events	More info
12-03-09	UEFA Cup	L	Werder Bremen	1 - 0	Saint Étienne	View events	More info

We know they are battling to stave off relegation in France League 1 however that has been happening all season long and yet they are still in this competition! Their league does not end straight after this competition it has 10 games to go and the France League 1 relegation battles will continue right down to the last kick of the season! It is very congested at the foot of that league and a couple of wins can propel teams away from trouble. By all accounts people were predicting a comfortable passage for Werder Bremen when the draw was made and St Etienne suffered their first defeat in this competition in the first leg. However stats do not lie and that game was by no means a walk in the park for Werder Bremen who in the end won 1 v 0:

Match Stats
	Werder Bremen	St Etienne
Shots (on Goal)	18(8)	9(4)
Fouls	16	16
Corner Kicks	5	2
Offsides	0	7
Time of Possession	50%	50%
Yellow Cards	1	3
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	5	12

It shows that Werder Bremen naturally being the home side had the lion share of efforts on goal, double that of St Etienne. However there was not any difference in possession which is alarming to me as I would naturally expect the home team to press far more against the away team. It could be argued that Werder got their goal after 10 minutes and wanted to preserve the advantage and not let in an all imortant away goal. However in those 10 minutes leading up to the goal there should be an advantage of possession overall but there was not! and this was against a team who for all intents and purposes do not want to continue in this competition? I am going against the majority here with my prediction as St Etienne still continue to defy the odds and Werder Bremen are not a great team away from home having won only 1 game in their last 5 aways! St Etienne on the other hand have a very good home record having an 8 game home game unbeaten streak 5 wins / 3 draws and are unbeaten at home in this competition 3 wins / 1 draw. Prediction: St Etienne to qualify for the next round @4.50 Paddypower *** :ok

[Skunk]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 I think that ST. Etienne to qualify is a bit to risky considering that if Werder scores, and they will, St Etienne will have to score 3 goals in order to qualify.

[Jonesy Knows]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Agreed Skunk but I see no value in the win in that if Werder score 1 and St Etienne score 2, Werder then going through - I am looking for value and St Etienne could get a 1 v 0 win and take it to extra time then even penalties and go through! or even Werder doing it in extra time/penalties which leads me to other value bets here: Predictions: St Etienne to win 1 v 0 @8.50 Paddypower ** and just in case a scenario that it goes down to the wire as I still see this tie so finely balanced! St Etienne to Qualify during 30 minutes extra time @34.00 Paddypower* St Etienne to Qualify during a penalty shootout @36.00 Paddypower* Werder Bremen to Qualify during 30 minutes extra time @19.00 Paddypower* Werder Bremen to Qualify during a penalty shootout @36.00 Paddypower* The Extra Time and penalties scenarios might be a good way to try for value in these Quarter Finals Ties because of such high value odds. I can see at least a couple of them going that way because most games are tied or have a 1 goal difference except for Man City and Udinese who have 2 goals difference! :ok

[Hooloovoo]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

St Etienne to win 1 v 0 @8.50 Paddypower **

1 - 0 @ 13.50 with Betfair :ok

[GLOCK"]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 GS lack of most players (no real CB) and also key player ARDA. He is 22 but his game is big enough to qualify Turkey to semis in the European Championship. Last round against Bordeaux, they score 4 but 3 of these were very lucky goals. Ball was hitting to Bordeaux player's legs all the time and went in. Very hard to say that GS will win. Hamburg could score at least a goal and this will make things OVER 2.5. This is the best choice i think and also AW is for big lovers. :) Ajax and Braga's HW is other bets for me. They eliminate Fio and Standard. They deserve to qualify. GL all.

[grieksken]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

St Etienne - Werder Bremen over 2.5 (1.92 @ pinnacle) Ajax - Marseille over 2.5 (1.98 @ pinnacle) Ajax are in the box seat as all they need is a goal in order to progress but they have to do so without several of their defenders. As such they have scored in each of their last 5 UEFA Cup games. So they should be able to score on Marseille who are missing some parts of their defence, but Marseille also has some of their defence out, and Ajax too are capable of scoring. The makeshift defenders on both sides will not be up to defending the game for each side, so look for both teams to aim to get the first goal which should help the over to come in

I think 1 of them has to be Ajax, but you're right. That's the reason why I have the same bet ;)

[Roskos]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 St. Etienne will deploy strong and offensive starting XI and I find much more value in HOME WIN (Asian Handicap) at 2.56 in Pinnacle. Given the fact that Werder will qualify even if the lose tonight by no more 1 goal and this bet cover DRAW, it's give a confidence for this bet. Here are staring lines: St.Etienne: -------------- Janot Varrault - Tavlaridis - Bayal - Sauget ------- Machado - Hautcoeur Mirallas --------------------- Dernis ---------Gomis ----- Grax Werder: Wiese Prödl - Mertesacker - Naldo - Boenisch -------------- Frings ------ Tziolis ------- Özil -------------- Diego ------- Pizarro ---- Rosenberg St. Etienne @ 2.56 (AH0), Pinnacle GL tonight :hope

[Mahno]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Good early goal by Bremen :cow Went for Bremen DNB :hope

[Mahno]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 2-0 Bremen, looks like St.Etienne is out of UEFA cup now :clap

[fisker]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 Metalist Kharkiv – Dynamo Kiev Whilst Metalist have impressed in both the UEFA Cup and their domestic league this season, they are going through a slump at precisely the wrong moment. Two losses and a draw in their three Premier League matches this year have seen them fall and they desperately need to get back to winning ways. Add to that the fact that at the weekend they were hammered 3-0 at home by Shakhtar Donetsk, and it is hard to see morale being too high coming into this match. The last 5 meetings between the two teams (in the league)have ended (At Metalis homeground): 0 wins, 1 draw 4 D.Kiev Wins, makes it total 3-10 in goal differance. Metalis: Probable Line-Up (4-1-4-1): Goryainov – Maidana, Obradovic, Gueye, Gancarczyk – Slyusar - Valyayev, Edmar, Devic, Oliynyk - Jaja Andrey Konyushenko started against Shakhtar at the weekend but had to be taken off early so he could be a doubt here, which will mean the coach will have to shuffle the midfield. Dynamo Kiev Probable Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Bogush – Betao, El Kaddouri, Sablic, Nesmachniy – Correa, Vukojevic – Eremenko, Aliyev, Milevskiy- Kravets Aside from the striking department there could be changes in defence as both Badr El Kaddouri and Andriy Nesmachniy return from suspension and are available. The first leg at Dynamo Kiev in the uefa cup ended 1-0 to Kiev. They know they have a good chance to go trough next round if they score a goal against Metalis. And the fact that they havent lost a match there for a long time, i have trouble to see Dynamo Kiev loose this one. My Bet: Dynamo Kiev Spread pk for Game 1.91 @Pinnacle 6/10

[Jonesy Knows]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 A decent profit made on the Ajax v Marseille game taking on the extra time markets! However St Etienne v Werder Bremen wasn't to be! I will be having a go tomorrow on the extra time / penalties markets again! A lot of ties are still finely balanced and the huge value odds on these markets mean that a profit is certain if only one comes in and the staking plan is right :ok

Agreed Skunk but I see no value in the win in that if Werder score 1 and St Etienne score 2, Werder then going through - I am looking for value and St Etienne could get a 1 v 0 win and take it to extra time then even penalties and go through! or even Werder doing it in extra time/penalties which leads me to other value bets here: Predictions: St Etienne to win 1 v 0 @8.50 Paddypower ** and just in case a scenario that it goes down to the wire as I still see this tie so finely balanced! St Etienne to Qualify during 30 minutes extra time @34.00 Paddypower* St Etienne to Qualify during a penalty shootout @36.00 Paddypower* Werder Bremen to Qualify during 30 minutes extra time @19.00 Paddypower* Werder Bremen to Qualify during a penalty shootout @36.00 Paddypower* The Extra Time and penalties scenarios might be a good way to try for value in these Quarter Finals Ties because of such high value odds. I can see at least a couple of them going that way because most games are tied or have a 1 goal difference except for Man City and Udinese who have 2 goals difference! :ok

[Caveman]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

St Etienne - Werder Bremen over 2.5 (1.92 @ pinnacle) Both teams are expected to come into this game below strength with several injuries in each side weakening their line ups. Also St Etienne coach has said that he is willing to forego this tournament to try and ensure the team's survival in the French Ligue 1. However, they continue to feature in games at home that has goals scored in it and they have scored and conceded in each of their last 5 games at home, including where they beat Olympiakos 2-1. Bremen too are known for scoring and they hold a 1-0 lead after the first leg. There are doubts about Pizarro playing but even still they have other players who can score and they did draw 2-2 at Milan. An early goal, especially for Bremen will open the game up as St Etienne would need to score 3 if they were interested in going through to the next round. Looking at goals here as teams have no more chances to progress after this game Ajax - Marseille over 2.5 (1.98 @ pinnacle) Ajax are in the box seat as all they need is a goal in order to progress but they have to do so without several of their defenders. As such they have scored in each of their last 5 UEFA Cup games. So they should be able to score on Marseille who are missing some parts of their defence, but Marseille also has some of their defence out, and Ajax too are capable of scoring. The makeshift defenders on both sides will not be up to defending the game for each side, so look for both teams to aim to get the first goal which should help the over to come in

great job again & again & again...:clap

[Caveman]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009 I can see Joe Public is on Shakhtar tomorrow, odds are dropping on homewin rapidly, but I can't understand it at all. Donetsk is only a mediocre team this year, you can see it in their domestic league (12 points behind D. Kiev) and they've also didn't show anything special in CL (and plz don't mention their win over Barca B/C Team!!). I can read all over the places that Zhirkov's absence will be a big blow for CSKA, and I must admit: Yes, it's true. This guy is probably CSKA's most influent midfielder. But many people also forget to mention that with Chygrynskyy the heart of Shakhtar's defense won't play due to suspension. And now confirmed that second key defender Razvan Rat also won't probably play!! Shakhtar didn't have a great defense before this absences and now it'll be even worse. I rate CSKA forward Vagner Love one of most underrated world class forwards in europe, he scored also in first leg. As CSKA with one goal in front, doesn't need to make the game,I can see this fast guy with dangerous and mortal counter attacks and think we will probably see an away goal here. Akinfeev, at his young age already one of best goalkeepers in europe perhaps in whole world, will be the key factor in this match. If he has one of his world class evenings, Shakhtar won't be able to even score once. Last but not least I have to mention a fact which many people forget: CSKA is unbeaten in european competitive matches this year at all! This team will be well prepared , perhaps even better than first leg, for this match, cos they also played first match in Russian league at weekend, so we won't see "the non competition factor". I am really surprised to see CSKA +0,5 @ 1,80 Gamebookers and say thx a lot bookies :D

[Jota]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

I can see Joe Public is on Shakhtar tomorrow, odds are dropping on homewin rapidly, but I can't understand it at all. Donetsk is only a mediocre team this year, you can see it in their domestic league (12 points behind D. Kiev) and they've also didn't show anything special in CL (and plz don't mention their win over Barca B/C Team!!). I can read all over the places that Zhirkov's absence will be a big blow for CSKA, and I must admit: Yes, it's true. This guy is probably CSKA's most influent midfielder. But many people also forget to mention that with Chygrynskyy the heart of Shakhtar's defense won't play due to suspension. And now confirmed that second key defender Razvan Rat also won't probably play!! Shakhtar didn't have a great defense before this absences and now it'll be even worse. I rate CSKA forward Vagner Love one of most underrated world class forwards in europe, he scored also in first leg. As CSKA with one goal in front, doesn't need to make the game,I can see this fast guy with dangerous and mortal couter attacks and think we will probably see an away goal here. Akinfeev, at his young age already one of best goalkeepers in europe perhaps in whole world, will be the key factor in this match. If he has one of his world class evenings, Shakhtar won't be able to even score once. Last but not least I have to mention a fact which many people forget: CSKA is now over one year unbeaten in a competitive match at all! This team will be well prepared , perhaps even better than first leg, for this match, cos they also played first match in Russian league at weekend, so we won't see "the non competition factor". I am really surprised to see CSKA +0,5 @ 1,80 Gamebookers and say thx a lot bookies :D

If you say they are unbeaten in THIS new year, 2009, i believe you. however they lost 2 matches in November 08. good pick anyway Caveman. GL

[blackcrow]

Re: Uefa Cup - 18th / 19th March 2009

great job again & again & again...:clap

Thanks caveman :ok